Briony is a naughty girl, she hurts people, and she can do things others can't. She can speak to the Old Ones, and everyone knows only witchs can speak to the Old Ones in the swamp. Stepmother warned her before she died that Briony must keep her secret, she must not go into the swamp, and she must never tell anyone what she can do. For in Swampsea, there is only one punishment for being a witch. Hanging.

Billingsley is a brilliant author. Her depictions of the swamp and of Swampsea were so realistic that you felt that you were there. She is an expert at setting a mood in a novel, and making the people there feel authentic. Overall this novel is a brilliant piece of literature.

Now you are probably wondering, if it was so brilliant, why did you give it a 4 star review. Well, to be honest, I just liked it. I can recognize superb storytelling in a novel and this has it, but it just wasn't the story for me. This is one of those books where I would split the rating 5 stars for quality and 3 stars for my personal opinions.

I had trouble connecting to the character of Briony in the book. I am a reader who loves to connect with the characters and I just couldn't connect with Briony. Part of this may be because I had the whole mystery figured out by chapter three and I wasn't at all surprised by the ending. I saw Briony more clearly than she saw herself and was frustrated by her resistance to the truth. So connecting with her was difficult.

If you like a novel whose setting pulls you in and you like the mystery, this novel will be fine for you. I just couldn't get into it no matter how hard I tried.

Still it is brilliantly written with stunning dialogue and an original story.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Daniel Walls to my blog! Daniel will be sharing his opinions on "This or That" with us. Please welcome Daniel and make sure you check out his book The Vyne: Mystery of the Hidden Ember!

This or That?

1. Chocolate or something healthier?

Something Healthier – I love chocolate (probably too much). Dark chocolate especially. But I do like pretty healthy foods for some strange reason.

2. Staying at home or traveling for vacation?

Traveling – Though there’s no place like home, getting out and seeing more of the world is transforming. There’s really no alternative for it.

3. Books or movies?

Books – Oddly enough, it was movies that actually got me into books when I was young. As a kid I loathed reading. I was such a terrible reader it only frustrated me. But once I began working my way through those frustrations and fears, I quickly learned how magic reading truly is.

4. Outdoors or Indoors?

Outdoors - There’s no substitute.

5. Technology or Old School?

Old School – Technology is amazing. And my generation has seen such an exponential leap it’s hard to even keep up at times. As fascinated by it and appreciative of it as I am, I still think very old school. I never want to lose that.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

I am so pleased to have author Neesha Meminger here today to talk to us about her writing and about her newest book Jazz in Love. Welcome Neesha!

Q: You have lived in a variety of places. How would you say that has influenced your writing?

A: Seeing the different patterns and histories of migration in different places really helped me to understand the various lived experiences of South Asians in the diaspora. The history of South Asian immigration to the U.S. has been very different from the history of South Asian immigration to the U.K. or to Canada, and both are very different from the histories of the Caribbean and South America. So, besides teaching me about history and sociology and geography (smile), living in these different places gave me a sense of the forces that shape culture--what changes and what core things remain unmoved. Language and dialect, accents and phrases - all are affected in these migrations.

But I think perhaps one of the biggest things to influence my writing has to be language. Punjabi was my first language and I had to learn to master English enough to tell stories. And still, most of the time I'm writing, I find that I'm thinking in Punjabi and having to translate the words into English as they make their way to the page. It's like a puzzle that I'm forever solving as I communicate and express myself.

Q: Jazz in Love is your second novel to be published. How was the road to publication with this novel compared to that of Shine, Coconut Moon?

A: I've loved both journeys for different reasons. Shine was exciting and exhilerating because it was my first novel to be acknowledged and validated--such a thrill for a writer who's been writing and querying and submitting for years and years!

Jazz, on the other hand, is my own--from beginning to final product. I'm very proud of what I've managed to accomplish with the help of loving and supportive friends and colleagues. But mostly, I'm so glad I took the plunge to put the book out. It was such an important step in my creative process, in the formation of my identity as a writer, and in connecting with my readers. There is a dearth of books written by South Asian authors about South Asian teens. That's pretty amazing, considering that India has the second largest population on the planet.

Q: Both of your novels feature protagonists that share an Indian heritage. Is your own heritage and experiences reflected in these novels?

A: Yes - a lot of my own experiences are reflected in my books, and in all of my writing. My stories are not autobiographical, of course, so I might put one of my characters in a situation I've been in and see where they go - how they negotiate it. But the truths are what, I believe, connect with readers. What I know is where the energy is. I want to share that in story, yes, but I want whatever the scene is to play out organically with the characters and their needs and wants. So, if it doesn't work, or a character just isn't into that scene, that particular bit gets scrapped and I move on to another--usually something the character organically wanders into and/or creates on her own.

Q: Shine, Coconut Moon received a lot of recognition after its publication. It made the Smithsonian List of Notable Books for Children, the New York Public Library's "Top 100 Books for Teens", it was nominated for the Best Books for Young Adults list from YALSA, as well as the CYBILS list, and others. How did you feel when the book was so well received? Did it create more pressure for you when you were writing Jazz in Love?

A: I was thrilled with the reviews and the positive reception for Shine, Coconut Moon! The writing journey is filled with so much uncertainty and doubt (at least for me) that to have people I didn't know (i.e. not my mom or my husband) connect with my book was unbelievably rewarding. I don't think it created more pressure when I was writing Jazz in Love, but the wait after I wrote it - to see if people would connect with it - was filled with far more anxiety this time around. Every positive review meant that much more this time.

Thank you Neesha for joining us today and for the wonderful interview.

Ash a young man hiding who he really is and what he can do from those around him, while ducking the blows of his sometimes brutal father. Scar is a girl with no memories of her past, hunted by those who seek what she knows. When these two unlikely teens meet, the whole world will be seeking them.

The Vyne: Mystery of the Hiddne Ember is a complex work of fiction. It has elements of historical fiction, steampunk, fantasy, and you can even throw in some pirates. It seems like Walls threw in the whole kitchen sink while writing this book, and it leaves the reader with a multitude of characters, settings, and events. The descriptions have a movie like quality to them, and to be truthful, it felt like this book should be a movie. The world Walls has created is extraordinary.

That being said, while I loved the fantasy and the plotting, I felt that it was all a little too much. I think in movie format I might have been able to follow the action more because at times I felt lost in the multitude of characters and plots. It is extremely visual and the descriptions were exquisite, but it was too fantastical for my taste. I also tend to be a reader who likes to get attached to the characters, and there are so many in this novel you never really get to know the different characters.

I can see this book appealing to many of the teen boys in my library who like steampunk and fantasy. Definitely a book to consider if those genres appeal to you.

Lloyd and Sam made a mistake. A big mistake. It was raining and they weren't paying attention, and somehow they ended up in a strager's car headed to the middle of nowhere. When they arrive at the huge mansion they discover there is no way out and they are in more danger than they could ever have thought possible.

This novel was scary. It was all just a mistake, but that mistake will change both Sam and Lloyd's lives forever. The story is told from Sam's perspective and he is an extremely likable character. He is smart, determined, brave, and thinks well on his feet. He never gives up and keeps trying to rescue both himself and Lloyd.

Kalhan keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting for what will happen next. The villain is convincing and rightfully scary. The boys are both a little too trusting, but they know something isn't right.

This is a book that will keep you flipping pages, and anxious to find out what is going to happen. It is downright creepy and heart stopping.

I have never been one to be easily frightened by paranormal books, it has always been the real things that scare me. This story is realistic. It could happen, and probably has. That is a real scary story!

A wonderful read if you are looking for some serious thrills and chills.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Savita Kalhan author of The Long Weekend to my blog. If you haven't read it, The Long Weekend is the story of two 11 year old boys who get into a car with a stranger and end up trapped in a mansion in the middle of nowhere with a man who means them harm. It is a riveting read.

Today Savita shares with us an excerpt from one of her other works, a story of a girl in dire circumstances.

I started writing a book, which I at first called Once Upon a Time... as a working title, feeling slightly trepidatious. I had my character and the bare bones of a story in my head, but did I want to write the story? I wasn’t sure. The subject matter was very risky and I wasn’t sure how publishers might react to it. I wasn’t sure if I could write the character’s story either, or do it justice. That uncertainty showed through in my writing.

I stopped writing the story then and went back to it several months later. This time I renamed it
Hanging in the Balance. It still didn’t feel right, but the story progressed, and when I reached the end of it, I was satisfied. I left it for a while and reread it and suddenly didn’t feel quite so satisfied. The second half of the book was very good, very moving, the first half felt as though it was there just to provide a background to the second. I wasn’t happy, but I wasn’t sure how to fix it.

My wonderful agent, Anne Dewe of Andrew Mann Ltd, came to my rescue and basically told me to scrap the first half of the book and try a different way to reach the middle of the book. I did that. I also renamed the book All About Jay. When I reached the end, I knew that this time I had got it right.

The process of writing a book is different with each new project. The Long Weekend was written over a very short period of time and needed no rewrites! I’ve realised exactly how unusual that is now! All About Jay shares a similar dark theme to The Long Weekend, but the story is very different. There is no stranger-danger in All About Jay. The danger comes from within the family home, a traditional Indian household.

The story follows a young girl who loses her father, and with his death, she and her mother find
themselves destitute and are eventually taken in by distant family members. They are not treated
well, both respect and freedom to be who are they are are denied. Jay, the main character, finds
herself housed in a room in the cellar, she is cut off from her mother and increasingly alone and
isolated. The story then takes a darker turn with the return to the household of her distant cousin...

Here is the prologue for All About Jay:-

Prologue

Jay staggered into the deserted bus shelter and sat down just as her legs were giving up. Sobs tore through her and broke free. She huddled over, cradling herself, as people walked by. After a long while she got up and started walking again, eyes fixed on her feet as they followed the pavement. She should not think, not about anything. She had to concentrate on one thing and that was walking. She had to get much further away, as far away as possible. She had to get to where no one knew her. She walked head down, blindly stumbling, not thinking, straight into an old woman.

“Sorry, sorry,” she mumbled, bending down to retrieve the contents of the woman’s shopping bag. There wasn’t much – just some fruit and veg, a tin of soup, ham, bread and a pint of milk. She handed the bag back with another garbled apology.

Jay’s head was all mixed up, but somehow she could list every item in the bag as though they had gone past her at the checkout in the supermarket where she worked. Yet she could not make herself think properly. Not one lucid, rational thought.

“Are you all right, dear?”

The woman touched her arm lightly. The tender touch jolted Jay. Its kindness made her tremble. It made her want to say please help me. It made her think how did I get here? It sent her mind back on a long, long, journey of recall.

How did she, Jayalakshmi Sharma, get here, like this, now…?

Thank you Savita for stopping by and sharing that excerpt! I can't wait to read the rest! Now, for your chance to win a copy of Savita's harrowing novel The Long Weekend, read the details below. Believe me you won't want to miss your chance to read this book The Long Weekend will keep you on the edge of your seats!

Giveaway Details!

One lucky winner will receive a copy of The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan!

* Open Internationally!!!
* Must be 13 or older to enter.
* Contest closes at 11:59PM EST on February 16th.
* Winner will be announced on February 17th and will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.
* Fill out form to enter giveaway!

I've noticed that several people lately have commented about book bloggers, and while I have no plans to get involved in that conversation, I though I owed it to those of you who are reading my blog to explain why I do this. Many out there think that bloggers are only blogging to get ARCs, I think you need to know why I really blog.

There are two reasons I started blogging. Originally, my blog started out as a way for me to track what I read. That is why I wanted to start a blog in the first place. I also did it because I wanted to start a blog for teens at my public library and I didn't want to experiment on my employer's blog, I needed one that I could afford to make mistakes with. At the time I started, I had no idea how much I would enjoy blogging, or how much fun it could be to interact with other bloggers and readers.

Over time this blog has become a labor of love. I don't read and review for profit or for ARCs, I do it because I enjoy it. I enjoy keeping this record of books I read, I enjoy promoting books and authors, and I love the feedback I get from you. When I have an ARC I am thrilled, but when I don't I will buy books or review books I check out from the library.

Very few of my friends and probably even fewer of my family members realize I blog. For me it is something personal despite the fact that I am out there on the web for everyone to see. I blog because the people who read this blog understand books, reading, and the enjoyment you can get from sharing what you read with others. I love having the opportunity to share my love of books with others who love them too. I love it when someone reads a book I recommended and then shares their opinions with me.

My job as a librarian is to promote books and reading and I do that. Being a librarian helps me reach out to teens who are looking for good books to read, and anyone else interested in books. I even know that some of my coworkers are out there purchasing books I have recommended to them because they love them too. I spread the word about the books I love.

I spread the word as a blogger too, but I don't do it for money or even ARCs. I love ARCs and feel blessed when I get to read one, but I read for pleasure not to get more ARCs. I spend more money on books than any other form of recreation and if I love a book, I recommend it to others. Yes I am a librarian and I can't stop buying books no matter how hard I try. I love owning the book and knowing that it is mine alone. (I am also very touchy about how my books are handled--ask my husband--he's gotten multiple lectures!)

So ultimately, why do I blog? I blog because I love books and love the sense of community I get from sharing my books with other readers and bloggers. I blog because I love it.

Why do you blog? Why did you start blogging? Do your family and friends know you blog?

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

I want to say congratulations to Bookalicio.us for two years of blogging! Congratulations! As part of the celebration Bookalicio.us is giving readers a chance to win a nook color. Visit http://bklc.us/2y for more details about her awesome contest and for a chance to win! Be sure to congratulate her while you are there!

Cat just wants one thing, to beat Matt McKinney at the science fair to get even for his betrayal four years ago. When the picture she receives as her inspiration for her science project features three naked hominids, man's early ancestor, she is no longer sure what to do for her project. When inspiration or desperation strikes, Cat decides on a project that may change her life forever. For 207 days "Fat Cat" will eat an all natural diet, ignore technology, and start a chain of events that will change her both physically and mentally. Watch out Matt McKinney!

I chose to read this book because it made our 2011-2012 Eliot Rosewater list. That wasn't the only reason though. I downloaded it as a whim from our Indiana Digital Media site as a test on my iPod Touch. For whatever reason, I originally started this book, it seems like I was meant to read it. From the first chapters displayed on my tiny iPod screen, to the later chapters when I gave up and decided to read it from my nook, and later the book, I can honestly say this book had me hooked. (YIKES! I am rhyming!!!) I don't read a lot of realistic fiction, but I am really glad that fate, or Overdrive, or Eliot Rosewater brought this book to me because I loved it.

The characters in this novel were great! I loved Cat's character. She is a strong young woman who is a good student and determined to do her best. She chooses a project and follows it with all of her heart, and discovers so much about herself along the way. Her best friend Amanda is terrific. If only everyone could have a best friend like her! Amanda's boyfriend Jordan, gives us a nice guy who loves his girlfriend and is willing to help out when necessary.

I loved the idea of the science experiment motivating Cat to change her lifestyle, and I love watching her confidence grow as she began to drop the pounds and discover that there is more to life than holding a grudge. The pacing of this story is superb. You follow Cat through 207 days of her experiment, and discover surprises around every turn.

Overall, this book was a welcome relief from so much of the urban fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction I have been reading lately. It was a light entertaining read and a surprisingly quick one. My only regret is that there wasn't more--I loved the characters so much I wanted the story to keep on going. It was fantastic!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Jason to my blog. Jason is one of the young men trapped at school by the blizzard in Michael Northrop's fantastic book Trapped.

Welcome Jason!

Jason, do you feel guilty about Pete and Scotty not getting out in time?

Yeah… I mean, yeah, of course. But it’s not like I planned it or anything. I just made the same mistake that everyone else made. I just thought it was going to be a normal snowstorm. It’s not like we don’t see enough of them around here. So I thought it was going to be another snowstorm and that hanging out in shop would be as good a way to spend it as any. But short answer: Yeah, totally.

What frightens you most about being trapped in the school?

Just being cut off, I guess. That and not really being able to do anything about it. And that the building is so old and crappy… There are a bunch of things, now that put it that way, but I think those are the main ones.

Scotty has mentioned that you like to wear shirts that have guns or violent slogans on them. Do you ever worry that others might get the wrong idea about you?

I kind of hope they do. That’s sort of the point. I’m not defensive about that stuff. Like I don’t even agree with the phrase “violent slogans.” Slogans aren’t violent, people are. Except mostly they aren’t. Mostly they just go along with everything. If people see my shirt or jacket or whatever and think I’ve got a few sharp edges to me, that I haven’t been completely ground down yet, that’s fine with me.

Scotty mentions that you have always been fascinated with wars and the military. Can you tell me why that interests you?

I just think it’s interesting. It’s real. In a war, like it’s World War II and Nazis are shooting at you and you’re almost out of bullets, that’s real. It’s not just sleepwalking around, waiting for bells, and going where you’re told to when you’re told to, you know? It’s like actions with consequences, and that’s pretty much the exact opposite of life here. At least it was.

What did you do to keep your cool while you were trapped in the school? What kept you from panicking?

I don’t know. I guess I just didn’t see the point in panicking. I tried to stay busy too. I think that helped. It didn’t help everyone, though. I feel bad about that, too. I feel bad about that especially.

Thank you Jason, for stopping by today!

Now for the giveaway!!!

One lucky winner will receive a SIGNED finished copy of Trapped by Michael Northrop!

Open to residents of the US only.

Must be 13 or older to enter.

Contest closes at 11:59PM EST on February 16th.

Winner will be announced on February 17th and will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.

When school let out early due to a snow storm, Scotty, Pete, and Jason decide to stay after for a little while to work on Jason's shop project. They had no idea that this was no ordinary storm and that they would end up trapped for days with four other students in the high school with no contact with the outside world.

I am not usually a realistic fiction or survival fiction fan, but Northrop had me hooked on this book after I read the first page. It is a fast paced story of survival and fear. The question "what will happen next" keeps you reading, and dreading what new set back these teens will face. It was fantastic.

Scotty is our narrator for the book, and is a very realistic character. A good guy, with an interest in basketball, Scotty is worried missing his game that first evening. Soon he realizes that he has bigger concerns. The other characters are convincingly drawn as well. His friends Jason and Pete have their own interests and their own concerns as the story progresses. Even the school bully was more than just one sided. We see that he has likable qualities, and that sometimes he is just misunderstood.

The tension running though this novel was palpable. You never knew what was going to happen next, or how much worse things were going to get for these teens. It kept you riveted to the story, flipping pages, and desperate to know what was going to happen.

Overall this was a great read. I can definitely see some guy appeal, especially for those guys looking for survival stories.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a giveaway with the condition, that if you wanted to be entered, you had to suggest a book or books that make you happy. Now, these didn't necessarily have to be books that were humorous, or had happy endings. These just had to be books that made us feel good when we read them. Some of you chose your comfort reads, some of you chose books that made you laugh, while others chose books that you loved for one reason or another. We have some great books listed here, and I thought it would be fun to share it with all of you so you can find some happy books when you need them.

If you don't see your book on the list, feel free to add it in the comments!

Here are the top four most nominated titles:

Adult:

Teen:

Adult Books:

Soulless by Gail Carriger The Pink Carnation spy series by Lauren WilligThe Bevelstoke series by Julia QuinnThe Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost
The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann BrasharesAustenland by Shannon HaleI am Ozzy by Ozzy Osbourne with Chris AyresAt Grave's End by Jeaniene FrostI Heart New York by Lindsey KelkEnchantment by Orson Scott Card Jaz Parks series by Jennifer RardinMarried with Zombies by Jesse PetersenDark-Hunter series by Sherrilyn KenyonDark series by Christine Feehan
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Pink Carnation spy series by Lauren Willig

Teen Books:Harry Potter series by J. K. RowlingThe Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter Anna & The French Kiss by Stephanie PerkinsSecrets of My Hollywood Life Series by Jen CalonitaSleepaway Girls by Jen CalonitaAny books by Meg Cabot
The Taker by J.M Steele
A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker
The Boys Next Door by Jennifer Echols
Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols
Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman
Anything by Susane Colasanti
Swoon by Nina Malkin
Twilight by Stephenie Meyers
Jessicas Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantasky
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
Firelight by Sophie Jordan
The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
Any books by Sarah Dessen
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Paranormalcy by Kierstin White
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld YA
Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith
Tithe by Holly Black
The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint
The Claidi Journals by Tanith Lee
The Singer of All Songs by Kate Constable
The Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Wings series by Aprilynne Pike
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
Beauty by Robin McKinley
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech
Bloomability by Sharon Creech
The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
Dead Is series by Marlene Perez
Sucks To Be Me by Kimberly Pauley
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Vixen by Jillian Larkin
Across The Universe by Beth Revis
Fallen series by Lauren Kate
Nevermore by Kelly Craegh
Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg
She's so Dead to Us by Kieran Scott
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Now for the winner of my Happy Books Giveaway--one SIGNED copy of Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson!

And the winner is...

Patricia L.

Congratulations Patricia!

Now I am off to read some happy books! Looks like I have quite a list to pick from! Thank you all for your suggestions they sound wonderful.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

I have the pleasure of welcoming Carol Oates to my blog today. I loved her book Shades of Atlantis and had extreme difficulty tearing myself away from it to go to work! Now she shares with us, the journey from idea to book!

Shades of Atlantis: From Idea to Book

I almost feel like the idea was in existence for a long time before I started putting pen to paper. I have been writing since I can remember and I’ve always had an interest in the old legends of Ireland back as far as school, and a fascination with the Hill of Tara in County Meath. It was a combination of my brother moving to a town nearby and a motorway development that would cut into the surround land that gave me a nudge to do something with the idea.

It started with a lot of research that continued through every stage of writing and on into editing, a rough outline that ended up nothing at all like the end story and a note book. I write long hand first and that acts as my first draft. I don’t write scene by scene, so it all ends up a big jumbled mess that I have to piece together like a jigsaw puzzle. I constantly sat down with my brother during this period to make him listen to random snapshot of a story that probably made no sense to him at all. I carried pieces of paper around and scribbled non-stop.

After it was complete and on draft 200 or so, it went out to a few people to read for comments and any obvious corrections that needed to be made. When it came back I edited again, tweaked and kept tweaking. Around this time I spoke to a few people in the industry and got a good response but for personal reasons I decided to shelve the project. I actually stopped writing altogether for the first time in my life and stayed that way for a year.

Eventually, I started to write again and then the opportunity to submit Shades of Atlantis came up. I was thrilled when it was accepted for publication by Omnific Publishing. That’s when the real work started, round after round of editing. While this was ongoing so was the work on the cover, my biography, interviews, press release and some other promotion. Finally the release was announced on the Omnific Publishing site, it was a very proud moment for me. Becoming published was a long, hard road but very worth it when I got to hold the beautiful book in my hand. I can genuinely say that it was a team effort all the way.

Thank you again to Carol for joining us today and for providing the giveaway!

Giveaway Time! One lucky winner will receive a .PDF copy of Shades of Atlantis!

This is for a .pdf copy of the book.

Open Internationally!

Must be 13 or older to enter.

Contest closes at 11:59PM EST on February 16th.

Winner will be announced on February 17th and will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.

Triona looks forward to the end of her senior year when she plans to leave her small town of Camden, Maine behind to travel to London. She doesn't plan on falling in love, but from the moment she first see's Caleb she feels an irresistible attraction to him. When the unthinkable happens, Triona heads off to London to find her way, but little does she know that she is a pawn in a much bigger game, and that her very life could be in jeopardy.

I really wasn't sure what to expect when I first started reading this novel. All of the summaries and blurbs that I had found were somewhat on the vague side, but very intriguing. I certainly didn't expect this novel to grab me the way it did and leave me completely breathless. As soon as Triona met Caleb, I found myself riveted to the story and flipping the pages as quickly as I could read. Oates had me hooked from her prologue, and although I would really have liked more of the background story presented in the prologue, Triona's story was mesmerizing.

I love the strength of Triona's character. She is intelligent and determined. I love that Triona takes chances and does what is right even though she wishes she could take another path. I also loved how she followed her heart. Her actions were realistic, and she had believable flaws. One of her friends points out to her that she can sometimes be a bit oblivious to things going on around her. I loved that flaw in her because we so often get wrapped up in our own concerns and lives that we do miss things going on around us. That flaw made Triona feel very real to me.

The love triangle is nothing new in teen fiction, but I do like how this one was handled. Triona's heart never wavers even when it seems like all hope is lost. In some respects I was having some Twilight flashbacks, but I think the relationships in this novel were handled so much more deftly, and the fact that Triona is a much stronger character influenced how these relationships developed.

Although this book would probably fall into the paranormal genre, the use of the celtic legends and the city of Atlantis mythology was definitely an original aspect. I loved how she incorporated some of the myths into her story--it was different from all the vampire and werewolf fiction that has flooded the teen market. In fact, I was very pleased that the paranormal aspects in this novel did not have vampires or werewolves.

My only criticism was that I felt a few of the story lines could have been tied up a little more completely. The Chris storyline could have had more explanation and I would have loved to have more information on the history presented in the prologue, although maybe that is material for another book. Neither of these are major complaints--in fact it may just be me and my curiosity. I loved the book so much I just wanted more.

Overall this was a riveting read. I couldn't imagine where this story was going to take me, but I loved the journey getting there. Oates is a talented author who knows how to keep a reader on the edge of their seats. I can't wait to read more of her work.

Definitely recommended, I loved it. I will say that if you are seeking a paper copy of the book you may have to be prepared to hunt around a bit for it and pay a bit more. It seems this book is much more readily available in the digital format. If you are seeking a paper copy of the book you will probably have to purchase it directly from the publisher Omnific Publishing, or from them through Amazon Marketplace.

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About Me

I am the Teen Librarian at a public library and have always loved to read. I focus mostly on teen titles, but I do have a few favorite adult authors that I tend to follow. I love to review the books I read and recommend them to others.

Disclosure

I receive no compensation for the reviews on this blog. The opinions expressed here are my personal opinions of the selected works. Most of the books reviewed here are either checked out from my public library, purchased by me, or given to me as gifts from family or friends. If I win a copy for review, or receive a copy for review from a publisher, I will note that on the review.